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Become fundable inSilicon Valley

A 6-week online program that makes you ready to raise, enter the US market, and operate at the level required to win.

Apply nowHow it works
Meet top founders and investors from the Bay Area

Learn from people who have actually done it - built, raised, or written checks in Silicon Valley.

  • Sequoia Capital
  • Y Combinatoralumni
  • ElevenLabs
  • xAI
  • Google
  • Apple
  • Harvard Law School
  • Stanford
Meet your future investor. 100+ investors in the network.
02The program

Six weeks to US-ready.

A focused online sprint with a small cohort. Workshops, 1:1 mentoring, investor panels, and legal + visa support. You leave with a US-ready deck, a clear US go-to-market plan, and a verdict from real investors - not another six months of polite feedback.

Starts
May 27, 2026
Duration
6 weeks
Where
Online
Admission
$1,800
Equity
None
03Mentors & Speakers

People who have actually done it.

No accelerator staff. No generalist coaches. You learn from the operators, investors, and specialists you would otherwise spend a year networking to meet.

01 · Curriculum

Hands-on workshops

Eight working sessions taught by operators and specialists. No lectures, no busywork.

  • Legal

    Fundraising, VC/PE, US company setup, investor agreements

  • Immigration

    Visa strategy (O-1, EB-1, EB-2 NIW), what actually gets approved, application pitfalls, and 1:1 consultation with a Techstars-affiliated legal team

  • US banking & finances

    A guide for global founders

  • Communication lab

    How you think, speak, pitch, and show up in high-stakes conversations. Run by a professional actress living in the Bay Area.

  • Fundraising

    How fundraising works in Silicon Valley - investor expectations, founder behaviour, and how to adapt your pitch to the US market

  • Business & GTM

    US pricing, customer acquisition, sales & partnerships, US-specific positioning

  • Hiring & team building
  • Product session

    By a Stanford lecturer

02 · Conversations

Fireside chats

Operators from ElevenLabs, xAI, YC alumni, Persona, Google, Apple. Not theory - people currently building, hiring, and shipping at the level you're aiming for.

ElevenLabsxAIY CombinatorGoogleApple
03 · Pressure test

Investor panels

Not friendly. Not theoretical. Not “demo day energy.”

  • Direct, unfiltered feedback from investors
  • Challenged on how you think, speak, and operate
  • Forced to meet the real bar, not a local version of it
04 · Accountability

1:1 mentoring

Tailored sessions on positioning, pitch, GTM, and fundraising readiness. Weekly accountability, no drift.

05Who this is for

This is not for everyone.

Being explicit about the fit protects the cohort and saves you time. If you are not below, the program will not produce outcomes you expect.

For you
  • Working MVP or validated prototype
  • Early traction or clear path to it
  • Committed founding team
  • A clear ambition to scale globally
Not for you
  • Idea-stage, still deciding what to build
  • Can't take direct, unfiltered feedback
  • Looking only for community or warm validation
  • Not planning a US raise or US launch
Built with speakers & mentors from
Sequoia CapitalY CombinatorElevenLabsxAIGoogleAppleHarvard Law SchoolStanford
06Application process

Selection process.

Small, curated cohort. Spots are filling on a rolling basis, so we encourage founders to apply early.

Selection process
  1. 01
    Submit application

    Short form. Tell us what you're building, and where you are along the way.

  2. 02
    20-minute interview

    Selected founders only. We use it to confirm fit in both directions.

  3. 03
    Final cohort selection

    If selected, you’ll receive an onboarding details shortly after the interview.

Next cohort starts May 27, 2026.
Apply now
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07FAQ

Questions, answered.

What are the program outcomes?

A structured 6-week program: hands-on workshops, 1:1 mentoring, investor exposure, legal and visa support, direct access to the Silicon Valley ecosystem, and real-time feedback and accountability. SF Startup Labs prepares international founders to:

  • Raise capital from US investors
  • Launch and sell in the US market
  • Operate inside Silicon Valley standards
  • Become “legible” inside the networks that matter

You don't get access in Silicon Valley just because you show up. You get access because the right people already know you before you arrive. This program is designed to make that happen.

Do I keep full ownership of my company?

Yes. We don't take any equity.

What does it cost?

$1,800 per startup, cost-recovery only. We're a non-profit — mentors and speakers donate their time, and the fee covers program operations only. That's how we keep tuition at cost and the bar high on who teaches you.

Do I have to travel to San Francisco?

The program runs fully online. Most founders come to San Francisco and:

  • fill their calendars
  • meet a lot of people
  • leave with nothing that moves the company forward

This program is designed to prevent that. We don't optimize for activity. We optimize for outcomes.

Do you help with visas and legal setup?

Yes — this is a core part of the program. You get:

  • Legal workshop led by a Harvard Law School attorney
  • Immigration session + 1:1 consultation with a Techstars-affiliated lawyer
  • Guidance on US company structure, fundraising setup, and visa strategy

Getting this wrong early is expensive. We fix it upfront.

As a founder, can I involve my team in the program?

Yes. We encourage you to invite team members who would find the session topic useful.

What if I miss a live session?

Sessions are scheduled across European and Pacific time zones and recorded. But participation in the simulations and communication labs is non-negotiable. Skip those and you don't get value out of the cohort.

Have more questions? Contact us directly at hello@sfstartuplabs.com.